Enzyme activity in soils affected by mining leachates

The primary source of soil contamination in the world is man-made anthropogenic activities. Specifically in mining, tailings management is an inherently hazardous activity, often involving chemical processing residues and high levels of metals. In many cases, tailings are deposited in large ponds where they are preserved by means of dams called tailings dams. The collapse of tailings dams can have serious environmental, human health and safety impacts. In recent years, it has been proposed in the case of gold and silver mines to replace the cyanide (CN-) leaching agent with less toxic compounds such as thiocyanate (SCN-) and thiourea (TSN). However, no studies of soil contamination with these compounds have been carried out. The present work aims to contribute to scientific knowledge in this important aspect.